Process of making roofing elements



Patented Junezz, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS H. GILLIS, F ELJIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ANACONDA SALES COMPANY, A CORIORATION OF DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF MAKING ROOFING ELEMENTS.

' Ho Drawing.

This invention relates to the manufacture of roofing elements in the form of boards, strip, tiles, and the like, and especially elements which consist of a base of various materials, commonly referred to as'an asphaltic base, which is provided with a protective metal coating applied to the Weather surface thereof.

Elements of a similar construction are shown and described in Letters Patent No. 1,449,058, issued March 20, 1923, to Thomas Robinson, and also in a somewhat modified form in an application of Robinson, filed February 10, 1923, and bearing the Serial Number 618,246. I

Ordinary composition shingles such as are now in general use are satisfactory for many purposes, but when laid in place on the roof and exposed to the weather they have a tendency to warpqor curl in such a way as to impair the appearance of the roof and also to render it less water-tight. Continued exosure to the weather sometimes results in eterioration of the roofing material, especiall when the latter contains oils with volati 'ze when in the hot sun. Shingles made wholly of metal have been used, and overcome the above disadvantages, but these metal shingles transmit heat rapidly and consequently it is necessary to provide heavy sheathing layers underneath them in order to make the roofing a gOOd i183; insulator. Also metal shingles are quite expensive and when held in lace by nails which pass 85 through them the continued expansion and contraction, due to changes in temperature, sometimes produces leaks at the points where the nails enter the metal.

In the above Letters Patent there is dis- (0 closed a composite shingle which consists of a base of various materials which is provided with a thin coating of a non-corrodible metal applied to the base and-conforming to the irregularities thereof. This metal may be applied in various ways and electrode osition is a convenient method.

11 manufacturing composite shingles of the type above generally referred to, by electrolytic processes, it is necessary to treat the base so that it is electrically conducting and the object of this invention is to provide a process by which this step in the preparation of the composite type of element may be" readily and satisfactorily carried on.

Application filed November 8. 1923. Serial No. 73,823.

Ordinarily the base employed will contain asphalt or other bituminous compositions of a similar nature, and a conductin material such a graphite or powdered met-25 is applied. to this base and held in place thereon by means of an adhesive. The bases so treated are then placed in electrol tic cells and the metal, usually cop r, is eposited thereon by well-known met ods. Since the elements are produced in large quantities, it is desirable that the adhesive material which is employed should. be comparatively quickdrying, and also inexpensive so thatit does not add materially to the final cost of the product. It isalso desirable that it may be applied in a thin film with rapidity and should spread well so that there will be 'no portions of'the base which are not covered. Furthermore, the adhesive should be such as to hold the conducting material firmly in place. This is important because the bases so treated are exposed to a considerable.

amount of handling prior to the application of'the metal coating and shouldany of the conducting material be displaced this would result in a portion of the base being unplated and the element would therefore be defective. It is also necessary of course, that the adhesive should be, such as not to be aflected by the electrolyte and should neither be freed from thc ba'se by the elecelectrolyte and thus render the latter impure. I

I have found that an adhesive which fulfills the requirements above set forth may be made by producing an emulsion of asphalt in water. This emulsion will contain varying proportions of asphalt, depending upon the nature of the surface to which it is to be applied. I have found that with composition bases of some types a solution having as small an amount as 1% of asphalt is satisfactor ,while in solutions satisfactory for other ases it is necessary-to use as higher.

suificient length of time to permitits use in so trolyte nor should it go into solution in the where the emulsion may be applied by brushing, splashing or dipping. Ordinarily the metallic coating which is to be deposited is onl to cover a portion of the surface, and itis therefore not necessary to apply the emulsion except on the particular surface where deposition is to occur. However, the emulsion is so inexpensive that it is easier to cover the entire surface of the element rather than to attempt to confine the adhesive to rtion of the surface.

any When the liquid has n a plied over the surface the elements will allowed to drain and will then 'be partially dried. This latter step may take lacein the open air or else the elements he passed through a dryingqchamber or exposed to a hot air blast. en the surface is still sticky the conducting material is a plied thereto.

arious materials may be employed for the conducting layer but it has been found that powdered graphite is quite satisfactory and is inexpensive. This powdered graphite is a good conductor and the particles may be applied and spread over the sticky surface so as to form a thin coating. The use of graphite, which has a lubricating uality, permits of brushin graphite over t e element without abrading the surface, and thus a thin conduct-ing coating of the graphite ma be roduced by the use of soft brushes an the Elm so formed will adhere firmly to the stick asphalt. While other materials such as nely divided or powdered metal, may also be used, and will serve the purpose equally well, the graphite is in many respects preferable; p

The elements so coated are nowconveyed to the electrolytic tanks ands are usually mounted in such a way as to expose to the electrolyte only that ortion of the surface u on which the e ectrodeposition is to take p ace. For instance, the elements may be mounted in a clamp made of a non-conducting material, or else they may be placed in position in the cell arid the anode masked insuch a way as to prevent the deposition over any portion except that where .it is desired. The elements are left in the electrolytic tanks until the deposition has attained the requisite thickness, whereupon they are removed and, after drying, the metal may be subjectedto a process for giving it a color.

he use of this asphalt emulsion is particularly satisfactory since the base itself ordinarily contains asphaltic material and the adhesive layer becomes substantially homogenous with the base and has no tend ency to separate from it upon exposure of the element to the weather. The asphalt emulsion, however, may be applied with sat isfactory results to other base materials and since it is quite inexpensive this step in the process does not add materially to the cost of the finished product. The graphite also is inexpensive and ordinarily one pound will cover an area of approximately 140 to 150 square feet. The application of the conducting coating requires no high degree of skill, and may be carried on by ordinal workmen. l sion in the proper proportions, which, as has been previously described, will depend on the character of the base material used and Also the preparation of the emu also the character of the surface, is a matter which maybe quickly determined after a little experience.

I claim:

1. A process for the manufacture of roofing elements, which comprises applying to the surface of a base treated with a waterproofing material .an emulsion containing this water-proofing material, applying thereto a conducting material, and electrodepositing a metallic coating thereover.

2. A process for the manufacture of roofing elements which comprises applying to a base an emulsion of asphalt in water, applyi'ng thereto a conducting material, and elecrial and electrodepositing a metallic coating thereover. v

5. A process for the manufacture of roofing elements which comprises applying to a basean emulsion of bituminous material in water containing from 1 to 35% of" the bituminous material, applying thereto a conducting material, and electrodepositing a metallic coating thereover.

6. A process for the manufacture of roofing elements which comprises, applying to a base an emulsion of a bituminous material in water, partially evaporating the water, applying a conducting material to the base while the surface thereof is still tacky, and electrodepositing a metallic coating thereover. s 7. A process for the manufacture of roofing elements which comprises applying to a base an' emulsion of asphalt inv water, partially drying this emulsion, applying a nonabrasive conduc' material to the base eva rating the water, applying phite while the surface t ereof is tacky, and then to t e base while the surface thereo ist'still depositing a metallic coating thereover by tacky, and electrodepositing a metallic clatelectrolysis. r x in thereover.

I 8. A process of manufacturing roofing eletestimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ments which comprises applying to a base "an emulsionof asphalt in water, partially JULIUS H. GILLIS. 

